Youkai and Ningen
by Ruby Moon-Snape
Summary: COMPLETE! Another battle with a demon puppet brings the two brothers just a little closer. Better than it sounds.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing relevant to this fic.

'blah' means thoughts

"Youkai and Ningen"

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha swung his sword at his opponent. The Wind Scar caught the edge of the cloak and ripped it, exposing the root-like appendages of the Demon Puppet. "Feh. Another puppet. This'll be easy."

"Stand aside, Little Brother. I will handle this." Sesshomaru pointed Tokijin at the puppet and waves of power cut the roots, releasing miasma.

'I'm glad the others couldn't get through the faux barrier. This miasma could be dangerous.'

Sesshomaru eyed the miasma suspiciously, having never dealt with it before. 'I am relieved Rin and Jaken followed my command to stay behind. I do not know what this is capable of.'

"Backlash Wave!" Inuyasha swung his sword and its ultimate technique cut through the miasma. However, the miasma didn't dissipate. It engulfed the two brothers. Inuyasha could barely see the demon puppet get cut down by his attack.

Seeing as their opponent was defeated, they both fled, not wanting to stay in the miasma any longer than necessary.

AT THE BONE EATER'S WELL

Kagome hefted her heavy backpack up and out of the well. As she climbed out, she thought, 'I hope Inuyasha appreciates all the ramen and chips I brought.' A streak of red and white flew by her. 'What was that?'

Suddenly, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara appeared.

"Kagome!" Shippo exclaimed, jumping on her.

"Hey, Shippo!" Kagome looked around. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"He had taken off due east, but Kirara picked up his scent this way," Sango answered.

'That streak must have been him, but why didn't he stop when he passed by? Didn't he see me?' Out loud, Kagome said, "He did pass by this way." She took off at a dead run. "Come on."

Shippo (having jumped onto Miroku's shoulder before Kagome ran off) clung to the monk as he and Sango followed Kagome, who had stepped near a very tall sakura tree.

Kagome looked up at the tree and gasped. In the top most branches slept two little boys. Each one had lavender tinted silvery hair. Even though they could have passed as twins, it was clear one was older than the other. The older one has a dark blue crescent moon on his forehead, two hot pink stripes on each cheek and each hand, and was wearing white kimono-type clothing. The younger boy had white dog ears peeking out of his hair and was wearing red kimono-type clothing.

"Kagome! Why'd you stop?" Sango called to her.

"Did…you…find…Inuyasha?" Miroku panted. He was out of breath, having run fast to keep up with Sango's long strides.

"Um, I don't know," Kagome admitted.

"How can you not know if you found Inuyasha or not?" Shippo asked.

"Look," Kagome pointed toward the top of the tree. "What do you see?"

"Could that be Inuyasha in the red?" Miroku inquired.

"Well, Kagome could find out if one of them is Inuyasha by using 'sit,'" Sango replied.

"If he is up there and I did as you suggested, he'd really be mad," Kagome protested.

"When has that ever stopped you," Shippo pointed out.

"Oh, I see your point. SIT!"

To the quartet's surprise, BOTH boys fell out of the tree and into the ground.

"Ow," moaned the elder boy.

"Ouch," the younger boy groaned. He opened his gold eyes, which landed on Kagome. "What'd you do that for?!"

"Inuyasha, what happened to you and who's the other boy?" Sango asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You're a little kid," Shippo clarified.

"What?!" Inuyasha started to get up.

"Inuyasha, sit!" the older boy said.

The small half-demon fell to the ground again. He lifted his head and his eyes fell onto the youkai next to him. "Sesshomaru, sit!"

The quartet's already wide eyes grew wider when the youkai was slammed into the ground much like Inuyasha had. When the elder boy raised his head, the rosary beads hanging around his neck could be seen clearly.

"Boys! Stop this!" Kagome shouted.

The youkai and hanyou pulled themselves up and into sitting positions.

"Sesshomaru, where did you get those rosary beads from?" Miroku asked, careful to not bring about the demon's wrath.

"They were a gift from Rin."

"And where'd she get them?" Sango inquired.

"She told me a lady gave them to her in a nearby village. Speaking of Rin, I need to find her. She must be scared being alone with Jaken."

"Feh. Find her in your condition? The way you look you could be here playmate."

"Like she'd go anywhere near you, hanyou!" Sesshomaru shot back venomously.

Everyone (with Sesshomaru being the only exception) was shocked at the level of emotion in the youkai's voice.

"Sesshomaru-sama, where are you?" a child's voice could be heard in the distance.

"It's Rin." The youkai started walking in the direction of her voice. Kagome stood in front of the Lord of the Western Lands, blocking his path. She stepped a little closer to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Let me go."

"Let me talk to her first."

"You'll let me see her?"

"I'll bring her here after I tell her what has happened," Kagome promised before she left.

Sesshomaru sighed inaudibly and, jumping back into the tree, sat down on one of the higher branches.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

'blah' means thoughts

When Kagome found the raven-haired child, the girl was close to tears. Sniffling, she kept murmuring, "S-Sesshomaru-s-sama."

"Rin," Kagome called out. Catching sight of the older human, Rin started running in the opposite direction. "Rin, wait. I know where Sesshomaru is!"

Rin stopped, turned around, and walked back to the teenager. "You've seen Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Yep and he is worried about you. Before I take you to him, I have to tell you something. Something happened to him. He seems to be just a little older than you."

"You mean he's a kid?"

"Yep."

"I want to see Sesshomaru-sama."

Kagome put an arm around Rin's shoulders. "C'mon. Let's go."

When the two humans returned, the two demons were both up in the tree. Inuyasha was sprawled out on one of the branches, while Sesshomaru was sitting on a higher branch. Rin spotted him with little difficulty.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

Sesshomaru turned around. "Rin?" He jumped down and landed in front of Rin.

She threw herself into his arms with the cry of "I was so worried!"

The young demon wrapped his arms around the girl. "So was I, Rin."

Rin looked at the demon. "You're still wearing my present, Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Yes, I am. I-"

"Sesshomaru, sit!"

The young Demon Lord was slammed into the ground. Fortunately, he was not still holding Rin. Sesshomaru lifted his head and growled. "Inuyasha, sit."

The hanyou fell from the tree and into the ground. Rin helped Sesshomaru to his feet. The fourteen-year-old demon smirked. "You deserved that, Little Brother."

Inuyasha stood up and put one hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. Sesshomaru faced him, one of his hands on Tokijin's hilt. The hanyou and youkai stood facing each other, neither one moving and yet silently daring the other to draw his sword. Rin, who had moved behind Sesshomaru when Inuyasha placed a hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga, whispered, "Sesshomaru-sama, please don't."

Sesshomaru took his hand off Tokijin's hilt. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga, which transformed, and charged at his half-brother.

"Inuyasha, sit!" Kagome yelled.

The half-demon was slammed into the ground, and a de-transformed Tetsusaiga was embedded into the ground inches away from his claws. He lifted his head. "What'd you do that for?"

Kagome knelt down next to the fallen hanyou and placed her hand on top of one of his. "Sesshomaru wouldn't have pulled his sword out in time, and you might have struck Rin in the process. I couldn't let that happen."

"Tetsusaiga wouldn't have touched Rin. The sword was made to protect humans. Inuyasha couldn't use the fang to harm her anymore than you, Kagome," Sesshomaru explained.

Suddenly, Kagome gasped, "Oh, no!"

"Feh. What now?"

"I left my back pack at the well."

"So?"

"You should care, Inuyasha. I brought ramen and chips for you," Kagome said.

At "ramen" and "chips" Inuyasha's ears perked up.

"Let's go retrieve your backpack, Lady Kagome," Miroku put in.

"And my bike. It's at Kaede's."

As Inuyasha-tachi walked towards the well, Sesshomaru turned in the opposite direction.

"Sesshomaru-sama? Shouldn't we stay with Kagome?"

"Do you wish to, Rin?"

"Hai."

"All right." Sesshomaru turned back around and walked in the direction of the well. Rin smiled and followed him.

It took about thirty minutes to get back to the well and set up camp not too far from the well. Kagome was cooking ramen for her group while Sango dug through the backpack handing drinks out. Miroku had gone to Kaede's hut to get Kagome's bike for her. Sango threatened to hit Miroku with her Hiraikotsu if he took too long.

"Inuyasha, do you remember what tonight is?" Kagome asked.

"Damn. The new moon."

"Inuyasha, sit." The young half-demon got a mouthful of dirt. He looked up at his half-brother. "Watch your language, Little Brother."

Inuyasha got back up, grumbling about older brothers.

"Ramen's ready. Who's hungry?" Kagome asked.

"Me!" Shippo exclaimed.

"I am," Inuyasha said.

"I'll take some, Kagome," Sango put in. "Miroku will more than likely want some as well."

"That makes five." Kagome started dishing up the ramen.

Rin, who was sitting next to Sesshomaru, kept looking from the ramen to Sesshomaru and back again. Sesshomaru noticed this and said, "Go ahead, Rin."

Rin nodded and walked over to Kagome. Without looking up from the cup she was working on, Kagome asked, "Would you and Sesshomaru like some ramen, Rin?"

"I will have some, Kagome-san, but Sesshomaru-sama doesn't eat human food."

"He doesn't? But Inuyasha – oh, right. _Half_-demon." Kagome handed Rin a cup of ramen.

By that time, Miroku was back on Kagome's bike. "Kaede wants us to meet her in the village tonight."

"Any reason why?" Kagome inquired.

"Because I told her what happened as far as I knew." Miroku turned to Inuyasha. "How did this happen?"

Inuyasha had been eating ramen so his mouth was full and he couldn't answer.

"It was some kind of miasma," Sesshomaru answered. The entire group turned and looked at the Demon Lord, who was sitting underneath a nearby tree. "Inuyasha and I were fighting a demon puppet and it released a strange miasma."

"It was his fault. If he'd let me use my Backlash Wave instead of butting in where he doesn't belong, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"Sesshomaru, why are you after Naraku?" Sango asked.

Sesshomaru remained silent, refusing to answer the question. Rin however, was happy to supply the answer. "I was abducted by Kagura and was held under watch by Kohaku."

"Naraku tried to have her killed," Kagome said, nodding her understanding.

"Kohaku? You've seen Kohaku?" Sango asked Rin.

Rin nodded. "He said he didn't remember anything."

"He's my brother. He had been killed and was brought back to life by the power of a Shikon jewel shard."

After five minutes of silence, Kagome said, "We should get to Kaede's village before nightfall."

Kagome packed everything up in her backpack and placed it on the back of her bike.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha half-whined. "I was going to be there!"

"Well, you can rest on top of it."

"Feh, now that's stupid."

"Sit, boy." In her anger, Kagome forgot to specify who was supposed to be sat, so both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru got sat. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I'm just used to saying the word without specifying."

Inuyasha started snickering.

Sesshomaru growled. "What's so funny?"

"You're obeying a human like a lowly dog."

"You're doing the same."

"You have no room to talk!"

"Neither do you!"

By this time, they were both on their feet. "SIT!"

Both got slammed into the ground when they chorused the word.

"Damn. I forgot about that."

"Inuyasha, sit."

Inuyasha got a mouthful of dirt. "All right, you two. Stop playing around. We need to get to Kaede's hut." Kagome picked up Inuyasha and set him on top of her backpack. "You stay there." Then she leaned in close. "Don't start another fight, Inuyasha. You are no match for him with the new moon an hour away."

"Feh."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

'blah' means thoughts

The octet made their way into Kaede's village. The old priestess exited her hut. "Ye have arrived finally."

Kagome dismounted her bike and walked it over to the hut (with her bag and Inuyasha still on top of it). "Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were fighting again."

Inuyasha jumped off the bike and dashed into Kaede's hut.

"Inuyasha has the right idea," Sango put in. "It's dark now."

Kagome looked towards the horizon and sighed.

"Kagome-san, what's so special about the new moon?" Rin asked.

Kagome didn't answer. "I…um…"

"Is it because Inuyasha's a half-demon like Jinenji?"

"Yes."

Sesshomaru overheard this conversation, but it was of no interest to him. With his usual air of confidence, he walked into the hut. He spied a red kimono in the corner. "Why are you in the corner, Little Brother?"

"What's it to ya?"

"You are acting like a little child."

"This may come as a complete surprise but I am a kid and so are you!"

"I am a child but only in body. You are a child in very sense of the word."

Forgetting his human form, Inuyasha leapt at Sesshomaru, intent on doing some harm.

"SIT!!!"

Both boys got mouthfuls of dirt. Sesshomaru lifted his face. "I believe you forgot to specify again."

"No," Kagome said as she knelt down next to Inuyasha. "I meant to sit both of you." Once again, both boys went down. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"That is not endearing you to me,"' Sesshomaru growled as he got up. He turned to Inuyasha and did a double take. He saw a black haired, black eyed child in a red kimono. He just stared in shock. "Inuyasha?"

"What?" the black haired youth snapped.

"So, this is your big secret?"

Inuyasha said nothing, but Kagome answered. "Yes it is."

Inuyasha sat in silence on the opposite side of the room, worrying about the fact that Sesshomaru knew his secret and might use it against him. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear his older brother approach. "I will keep your secret, Inuyasha."

"What did you say?"

"I said I will keep your secret."

"Why are you being nice all the sudden?"

Sesshomaru walked to the door. He looked back at Inuyasha. "You cannot be satisfied with the fact, can you?" With that said, he walked out the door.

"What did he mean by that?" Inuyasha asked.

'Could he actually like his brother?' Kagome wondered. She left the ht for a moment and was met by…

"Why you-"

SMACK

Miroku had a grin on his face as well as a red hand-print. Kagome shook her head. 'Miroku will never learn.' She looked around to make sure everything was fine. What surprised her a little were Rin and Sesshomaru. The young lord was sitting under a nearby tree with Rin cuddled next to him. Kagome smiled. 'They seem content.' She re-entered the hut to spend the night with Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru wrapped his right arm around Rin, who wrapped both arms around him. 'I should not be content right now considering the circumstances, but I am.'

Suddenly …

Both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru woke up, terrified. Inuyasha's yell had scared Shippo and Kagome and startled Sango, Miroku, and Kirara. He was panting from the nightmare as he thought of it.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, sleepily.

"Nothing. It was just a nightmare."

THE WESTERN LANDS

A yell awoke the inhabitants of the castle. Rin and Jaken rushed to Sesshomaru's room.

"My Lord!"

"Sesshomaru-sama!"Sesshomaru was standing near his window with his back to his two companions."Are you alright, my Lord?" Rin asked.

"Yes, Rin. Is there something you need?"

"No, my Lord. I just heard a yell."

"I did not hear anything. You must have been dreaming."

"But I heard it too, my Lord!"

"Jaken, take Rin back to her room and leave me."

"Yes, my Lord." The imp took the little girl back the way they came.

Sesshomaru took a deep breath. 'It was just a nightmare.'


End file.
